Justice: Dr Maura Isles
by ItsClaStevOffical
Summary: Dr Maura Isles has secrets...*dont own nothing but the plot.* Use of pictures and characters purely for fun and no profit is gained from this story.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: So, I am back...I know ya all missed me! ;) So, this one isn't super long. Enjoy!**

Chapter One

 **Present day - Boston**

Dr Maura Isles, by day the Chief Medical Examiner for Massachusetts, was the epitome of all that was good in the world. She was thorough, observant, and just. It was these very qualities that had drawn Detective Jane Rizzoli to her.

Their paths had crossed, and very soon they had slipped into the perfect friendship. There for each other in every way… _every way!_

She could still remember that first night they had tumbled into bed. Sleep was not on the agenda as they consummated what was the best relationship either of them had ever been involved in, and it had been a very happy 6 months so far.

Twenty-two official dates later though, Maura Isles was in a quandary.

You see, Dr Maura Isles has another life, one that she wasn't sure Detective Jane Rizzoli would understand or want to be a part of. She hated lying to Jane to hide it. She had gotten good at dealing with the vasovagal episodes telling a blatant lie would create, but still, bending the truth and sneaking around was hurting herself, and it would hurt Jane too if she ever found out before Maura explained.

For years, Maura had felt out of place. She knew that she wanted to do something with her life, for it to mean something. Knowing that, she also knew that whatever she did would have to help people in some way. She needed to do something that brought justice for those who had for some reason been forced to suffer at the hands of another.

She trained as a doctor, thinking that this would be the perfect way to fill the constant pull at her self-worth, her need to help and bring comfort. But, she found it rather difficult to connect with her patients. Living people were something of an enigma to her back then.

So, she retrained and put all of her knowledge towards becoming the best Medical Examiner that she could be. And for a long time, as she strived to bring each body on her slab the justice they deserved, she felt fulfilled.

However, that all came to a blinding halt with Sarah Gregson.

 **August 2011 - California**

The mother of four had been involved in a road traffic accident. Her car had been hit by a man three times over the legal limit to drive, and she had been killed instantly. All four of her children had been devastated.

Skylar was seventeen, on the verge of womanhood and yet so very much a child herself. She was a straight-A student about to embark on a new chapter of her life with a place at Stanford. She was gifted.

Katya and Tennyson were in middle school, one just started, and one moving on to high school.

Little Carina was just six years old.

Their father was no longer on the scene, grandparents had all died years before or been absent so long that they didn't know them. It had hit Maura hard too. She had gone to the funeral and watched those four children mourn the loss of their beloved mother, knowing that the man responsible would never face a day in prison for his crime. A technicality had meant he and several other worthless excuses for humanity would walk, and that was something that Maura Isles couldn't abide.

Maura Isles had skills and an innate ability to use them.

Donald Tramp was a selfish, nauseating, and narcissistic pig of a man. He drank to celebrate every triumph he had, and he had a lot as a successful business man. He spent most of his time standing at the bar holding court as those around him listened to him regale them with stories of his prowess with women. Maura watched from her seat across the bar, scowling at the disregard for the crime he had committed, his lack of compassion for the life he had taken and the lives he had affected. She watched as one by one his cronies wandered away and he was eventually left by himself to prop up the bar. She drained her drink and stepped outside into the darkened parking lot. She already knew which car was his, having watched him arrive and enter the bar. This wasn't her first rodeo with a man whose guilt had been eroded by lack of evidence or a bit of bad luck.

Finding herself a place in the shadows, she waited, scalpel in hand, her eyes trained on the door of the bar for the overweight and overbearing asshole to stagger out. From her periphery to the right, she noticed something move, a blur of blackness as it moved quickly. Without making a sound, Maura turned her head in the direction and saw a figure crouching down behind Tramp's car. Squinting to try and focus better in the darkness, Maura observed the figure. Slight, not tall. A woman. She looked closer and caught the flash of blonde hair that fell from under the black cap, the slant of her nose familiar. Skylar Gregson.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Yes, I know.. its a short one! We're building towards the story... and I am travelling back to the UK today so, this is what ya got! Many thanks for the reviews and messages so far! You're all great and glad that you're all enjoying and trying to guess... so much fun! Enjoy!**

Chapter Two

Skylar Gregson was angry. Her family had been decimated with the death of their mother. They were now part of the system, awaiting foster homes. Bound to be split and sent to different homes, new families.

All because of him.

She had done her research. Google was her friend when it came to Donald Tramp. It hadn't taken long to track him and work out where he liked to hang out and drink. Still drinking! After all that he had done. He didn't care, and that made it a lot easier for her to do what she had planned.

She was going to make him pay!

~R&I~

Easing the sharp implement back into her pocket, Maura looked around the vacant lot and noted the lack of any other cars. The only noise came from the bar: loud music and the sound of laughter and shouting. It got louder as the door opened and Donald Tramp fell out of the bar, fumbling in his pocket for his car key.

She looked back at Skylar and saw a bright glint of something shiny.

"Dammit," she mumbled. Calculating the distance between herself and Skylar and that of Tramp and his car, taking into account that he could barely walk in a straight line, she reasoned she had 30 seconds to get across the lot and get Skylar out of there.

The teenager jumped as she realised someone had snuck up behind her. She dropped the knife to the ground and the clang of the blade hitting concrete echoed loudly. Maura grabbed the back of her sweatshirt and yanked her upward.

"What the hell do you think you're going to do with that?"

"Get off me." She struggled. The doctor was surprising strong and held on tight. "Let me go." Finally, Skylar broke free, but not before Maura grasped her wrist.

"You have a life ahead of you. Don't ruin it over this piece of crap," Maura hissed against the back of her head. She felt the young girl slump against her. Her shoulders shook as the tears she had held back till now began to fall.

"Its not fair, he doesn't deserve…"

"I know, but you do. Now, go home." Her line of sight was drawn to the white shirt nearing them faster than she had thought he would. But then he lost his balance and fell. "Go home, Skylar." She pushed the girl away, watching until the small figure had disappeared into the darkness. She squatted down and picked up the knife, folding it shut carefully and putting into her pocket. And then she turned her attention back to the figure that was clambering back to his feet.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

She had barely gotten in the door when there was knocking. Checking her watch, it was late. She didn't get many callers, especially after midnight. On the rare occasions that she invited a lover into her home, it would be much earlier than this.

"Who is it?" she asked, peering at the door from four feet away.

"Dr Isles?" a small voice came from the other side. A voice she recognised once again.

She moved towards the door and unlocked it quickly. "Skylar? What are you doing here?" She held the door wide open and pulled her inside. The cap was gone now. Instead her long blonde hair swung back and forth in a low-tied ponytail. Her eyes were wide and fearful. She looked like she had been crying for a long time.

"I followed you…after." They stared at one another. each with their own thoughts of the other. "Did you?" She left the question hanging between them.

Maura looked away and then down at herself. She hadn't had a chance to change. "I need to take a shower. Have you eaten?" She didn't wait for an answer. "Go through to the kitchen and help yourself. I won't be long."

~R&I~

The shower was hot. She needed it to be hot, to wash everything away.

But she was surprised at how she felt: alive, fulfilled, ready to face the world. She hadn't felt this light in years, if ever! She ran the water until it ran clear, and then she climbed out and wrapped a warm towel around herself.

Coming down the stairs, she could hear the sounds of the TV. Skylar sat on her couch with a sandwich still sitting on the plate, untouched. She had a bottle of water on a coaster, opened and half-drunk. She looked up as she saw the doctor enter the room, towel drying her hair. "Why were you there?" she asked as she reached for the remote to mute the TV.

Maura sat down opposite her. She knew the question was coming, and she knew that she couldn't outright lie. Not without fainting. "I wanted to speak to him."

"Why?"

"The same reason that you did."

Skylar nodded, and that was all she needed or wanted to know. She turned back to the TV and unmuted it. A reality show on MTV. The sandwich remained untouched.

~R&I~

Donald Tramp was brought in at 02:04 a.m.

Dr Maura Isles was alerted, as she was the ME on call. She went straight in, leaving Skylar to sleep in the guest room. In the morning she would call social services and see what she could do to help the girls. They wanted to stay together. But right now, she had a job to do.

The paramedics who had brought him to the morgue informed her that the police were putting it down to a mugging gone wrong.

"Sounds like he got his comeuppance anyway," one of them told her.

She said nothing and waited for him to continue, as she knew he would. He appeared desperate to share the information he had learned from speaking with one of the police officers on duty.

"Apparently he was the sleazeball that killed that mother a couple months back. Seems he didn't learn his lesson."

"Yeah, found him face down on the floor next to his car in the parking lot of the woodside grill," the other paramedic added. "Keys in his hands. Witnesses said he could barely walk when he left the bar an hour earlier."

"Then it's a good thing he didn't make it behind the wheel of his car then, isn't it?" Maura said with a smile before slipping her face mask on. "Are you staying to watch, gentlemen?"

They looked at one another. One looked rather queasy at the idea. "No, we need to get back, plenty more where he came from, right Doc?"

Tramp was buried in the system. Just another unsolved mugging gone wrong. She logged the injuries as being made with a knife and sent his body back to his family for cremation.

Sometimes it was just too easy.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Present day - Boston

She had arrived in Boston little more than six months ago. She set up house in Beacon Hill and settled into her new job: Chief Medical Examiner for the Commonwealth. She was proud of that title; it meant a lot. All the years of hard work had paid off and now she was at the pinnacle of her career. And all before she had hit 45!

She had literally been in the job for a week when she had run into Detective Jane Rizzoli, who was undercover as a hooker. It had been an embarrassing first meeting. Jane, however, had found it all rather amusing and invited her to the Dirty Robber for drinks. Two weeks later and they were celebrating the resolution of their first big case together. Dr Maura Isles had been introduced to beer! Several bottles later and both women were leaning on each other for support, something they had found was a natural and frequent occurrence lately.

When Maura had stumbled and fallen against Jane, she had laughed, but then as she looked up and caught sight of the way the detective was looking at her, her laughter stilled. When Jane leant in to kiss her, there was no option but to return the embrace.

It had been so long since anyone worthwhile had spent the night in her bed. It was a lifetime away from Ian; another world in fact. Africa seemed so far away now. There had been lovers, women mainly, that she had enjoyed dates with and on occasion, she had spent the night with them, always at their place. She would never bring them back to her home. Not anymore.

But when Jane Rizzoli went down on her in the bathroom of the Dirty Robber five months after that first night, she had realised something spectacular: she was falling in love.

The countdown had begun a week ago. She had tried several times to sit Jane down and explain, but there had always been one thing or another that just got in the way. Today was no different.

They had been lying in bed together, naked as usual, when the call came in. Jane's phone rang first and then Maura's. They answered with their usual "Rizzoli," "Isles."

"God, can we not just enjoy one entire weekend in bed, naked together?" Jane groaned as she tossed her phone to the side and rolled into Maura, her arm instantly snaking around her waist to pull her in close. Her lips pressed gently against the flesh of Maura's shoulder.

"I don't disagree; however, duty calls."

Jane groaned some more as Maura pulled away and climbed naked from the bed. Looking back over her shoulder, she grinned at the dark-haired detective's pouting. "Come on, if we're quick, we can shower together."

~R&I~

The crime scene was a family home. Nothing more interesting than a suburban household with neighbours either side, on a street like any other street. Only this house was home to something grisly. It was a home where once upon a time a mother came through the door and found three smiling faces staring up at her, but not tonight; tonight the three smiling faces lay like sleeping children, each of them in their nightwear. All of them lay side by side. Their mother was sprawled out across the floor in front of them, her right hand stretched out as though it were reaching for them.

Tears sprang to Maura's eyes as she was reminded instantly of the four little girls that had belonged to Sarah Gregson. "Hey, Maura, you okay?" Jane asked, discretion at the fore as she gently guided Maura to the side by the elbow.

"Oh, yes… its just…" She looked into Jane's big brown eyes and found compassion looking back at her. "Jane, we need to talk," she said firmly.

"Alright." Jane arched a brow, wary of where this would take them. The 'we need to talk' routine usually meant the end. But she didn't feel that way about Maura Isles, not the way Maura was looking at her right now. "Let's get this done and we can do just that."

Maura nodded. "Yes, I'd like that."

~R&I~

The morgue was bustling as everybody came together to work towards finding the killer of the Cruises. Mateo, Diego and Liliana had all died alongside their mother Graciela, horrible, violent deaths, and Maura Isles seethed as she silently performed each autopsy. Whoever did this needed to pay, and she would make sure they did, with the evidence. And if that wasn't enough, well they would pay.

It was late by the time she had finished. Jane had texted earlier to let her know that the team would be working through as they followed the leads. So far, everything was pointing towards the husband. He had warrants out for him already for various crimes, including one for assault on his wife.

Maura held her anger in check. Looking at her wrist, she noted that the time was just gone 11 p.m., which meant it was still only 8p.m. in California. She sat down at her desk and hit the Skype button on her iPad and waited as it rang through. She grinned at the blonde who answered. "Hello darling, I miss you."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Morning brought with it a clearer sky and a clearer mind as Jane groaned herself awake. She wasn't a morning person in any way, shape, or form. The only times she found it acceptable were the times when Maura Isles lay in her arms or, even better, between her legs.

She smiled to herself as she thought about just how often she would wake to find Maura enjoying herself as she brought Jane pleasure. It really was the best way to wake up. She closed her eyes and imagined looking down her torso to find hazel eyes looking back at her, a hint of a smile in them as her mouth went to work. Her tongue could do things to Jane that Jane hadn't thought possible, and had certainly never had with any other lover in her past.

Her hand wandered lower and she found herself aroused, amazed that the good doctor could have such an effect on her and not even be present. She let her fingers play a little, edging nearer to the desired pinnacle. The alarm buzzed loudly and she groaned again. Rolling over, she finished quickly, unable to draw it out and enjoy the subtle touches that she liked to linger with.

Right now, the case was more important. She all but fell out of bed and headed to the shower. As the water cascaded down, she thought of Maura again, her reaction at the Cruise house. It had thrown Jane a little. She knew, of course she did, just how much Maura cared about the people on her table. It was part of the attraction to the quirky woman. But, professionally she always kept herself together, gaining herself the title of Ice Queen from more than one source. Her ability to switch off and become emotionless as she worked her way through the scene and subsequent autopsies had amazed Jane. To see her on the verge of tears and almost human, it tugged at Jane's own heart strings, until those words were uttered. _We need to talk._

~R&I~

The case took a turn in the right direction three days later, when one of Maura's technicians found a tiny droplet of blood on a towel that had been collected from the bathroom. The droplet was minute, and yet it was all they needed to prove that Ted Cruise had been in the house. Uniforms picked him up the following day, and Jane went at him with everything she had in the interview room. It all looked good, until Sara H Saunders arrived and gave him a complete alibi for the night in question. He admitted that he had been there, that he had been trying to work things out to have access to his kids. He sneered at how the bitch was making it hard for him. He just wanted to be a good dad, but no, she had to keep spoiling it.

So, he was fixing up the house like he had promised, a gesture of goodwill. He cut his finger. Holding up his left hand, he removed the band aid and proved that he did indeed have a cut. There was nothing else they could do. Jane needed more evidence, even though her gut told her it was him. He hadn't even flinched when she had shown him the crime scene photos of his dead babies.

Maura found Jane in the Dirty Robber, drowning her sorrows in Sam Adams and tequila. She was a little wasted, and she was angry.

"Ya know what, Maura," she slurred, wobbling a little in her seat as Maura sipped her first red wine. "Someone should just take that fucker out."

Maura cocked her head, intrigued by this. "Take him out where, Jane?" she asked in all seriousness.

Jane laughed, spilling her drink as the bottle hit her lips. "Maura, no." She chuckled again, much to Maura's delight. She loved to make Jane laugh. She took another sip of her wine. "Take him out," Jane insisted before adding in explanation, "Kill him."

"Oh," was all Maura said.

"I could've…should've just shot him," Jane slurred, taking a long swig. She thumped the bottle down onto the table. "It's the shittiest part of the job. You know…" She pointed the bottle at Maura. The doctor stared back, wide-eyed as she waited to find out what she knew. "You know what I mean, right? These dickheads that hurt people and…and they don't care, they don't care, Maura." She sighed and slumped in her chair. "I wanna kill him."

They sat in silence for a little while, both lost in thought. Maura sipped her wine still and watched as Jane contemplated another drink. "Why don't you?" she said, taking the blood-red liquid into her mouth delicately.

Jane looked up at the sound of her voice, not quite registering the words. "Huh?"

"I said, why don't you?" She leant forwards and whispered, "Kill him."

Jane's eyes widened and then the curve of her lips moved upwards as the laughter erupted. She pointed at Dr Isles. "Good one, Maura…you nearly had me!"

Maura smiled inwardly and set down her glass, remembering that Ted Cruise was staying at the Motel 7 on the corner of Smith and Weston. It didn't take much persuading to get Detective Rizzoli into her car and home to bed.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Jane's head pounded. Her mouth was dry and she was hearing the most annoyingly loud sound ringing in her ears. Her brain fog finally cleared and she reached out to grasp her phone from the table beside her bed.

"Isles." She heard the gentle voice of her lover answer her own phone beside her and smiled before the ringing of her own phone caused her to grimace.

"Rizzoli," she mumbled into the handset and listened as someone rattled off an address. "Text me the details." She disconnected and rolled over. Tangled sheets came with her, and she found Maura's naked back within touching distance. She didn't remember coming home, but if she woke naked with Maura at any time then she would be happy.

"Yes, okay. I understand. I'll be there in 30 minutes."

"Don't wanna get up," Jane said into her pillow when she heard Maura place the phone down.

Maura chuckled. "Well, okay…you stay here and sleep off your hangover and I'll explain to the lieutenant that Crowe needs to be lead on this one."

"Ugh, so unfair."

Maura smiled as she climbed out of the bed and began the process of getting ready. Jane sat up, swinging her legs out of bed to find two Advil and a glass of water on the table. "Thank you, Maura!" she shouted after the Doctor, the sound of the shower switching on drowning out her complaints about the time.

~R&I~

It wasn't hard to spot. Patrol cars lined the street, several still running their two-tone lights and one blocking the junction completely. Crime scene tape was already in place, and as Maura pulled in beside the crime scene van, she could see Susie making notes and following a uniformed officer around the parking lot.

"Body is in the hall, Dr Isles," one of her technicians called out on seeing her duck under the tape. He trotted over. "It's a Hispanic male with a stab wound to the neck, no signs of struggle."

"Thank you, Peter. I'll take over from here. If you can arrange for the body to be taken back to the morgue when I am done in situ?"

"Yes, of course."

Jane had arrived. She could see her speaking with Korsak and pointing towards the other end of the corridor. She loved to observe Jane in work mode. Everything about her was just thrilling. The way she moved and questioned everything. How she could pick up on the smallest nuances of evidence. Maura was proud of her. She was a little nervous that they still hadn't been able to talk, but she hoped now that the case was over, they would find the time that they needed. She needed to be honest with Jane.

~R&I~

"The victim is Ted Cruise. 38 years old. He is 5 feet and 8 inches tall and weighs 203 pounds." Maura spoke into the microphone that would record her findings. "The victim has severe contusions to the torso and upper shoulder area, as well as to the facial bones, the zygomatic arch in particular. There is blood in the nasal passage. There are no defensive wounds on the arms or hands." She looked up and watched as Jane and Korsak entered the room. She smiled before continuing on. "The victim died when the subclavian artery was severed. A wound to the back of the neck between C7 and T1 measures six centimetres by two centimetres. I would suggest looking for a long, flat and thin pointed object." She caught Jane smirking in her peripheral vision. She knew full well that Jane would just call it a knife. She, of course, already knew that it was a Yanagi: a single bevel Japanese-style culinary knife.

"Got anything for us, Maura?" Jane asked as soon as Dr Isles switched off the microphone and moved away from the body, removing her gloves as she went.

"Nothing that will help you catch his killer, Jane. Sorry." She smiled as she tossed the gloves into the receptacle. "Did you find anything?"

Korsak shook his head. "Not a thing. Seems like another mugging gone wrong. We didn't find a wallet. According to witnesses, he would often come outside at that doorway for a smoke."

"Then I guess it's a case unsolved for now?" Maura said, smiling sadly at the detective.


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: So, September was a pretty busy month. Holiday, My aunt died and then I had a wedding in Scotland... Oh and I've got two books at the end of the editing process ready for release... So, sorry that it's taking a little longer to get these out. I could just put them up unedited, but I'd rather give you all the best option and that means I need help from my editor, who herself is extremely busy with writing her own books, her own fanfic and holding down a full-time job... So, thanks for bearing with me! I really love how imaginative you all are as you come up with your own ideas of where this is going! We will see at the end who was right! ;) Anyhoo, here is some more for you!**

Chapter Seven

"It's just a few more days, sweetheart, and then we will be together again," Maura said into the phone. She leant back in her chair and grinned at the response. "I know, but surely your sister isn't that bad!" she chuckled. "I know, yes and I miss you so much. I can't wait to have you in my arms again." The knock on the door made her jump. "Okay, look I have to go. I love you."

Jane sauntered in and sat herself down at the desk. "So, I'm going to be honest right now, Maura," she said, leaning back in her chair. "I just want to go home, open a beer, and spend the night having sex." She grinned. "You want to join me?"

Maura smirked, rose up from her seat, and moved around the desk. "Well, that would rather depend."

"On?"

She moved forward and placed herself between the Detective's open thighs. "On whether we can talk first."

"And then have sex?" Jane clarified.

"I would hope so."

~R&I~

Beer was forgotten. Any plan to talk first was thrown out of the window the second that Maura pulled up outside of Jane's apartment. The speed with which Jane ran up the steps, dragging a giggling Maura behind her, was record-breaking. Inside the apartment, Jane planted her mouth on Maura instantly. Her hands roamed, lifting, pulling, and yanking at material until it gave way and allowed her to touch the hot flesh beneath. "God, just take me now," Maura pleaded. She had spent all afternoon thinking about this very moment. Her entire being was primed and ready. When she felt her panties sliding down her thighs, she whimpered. The need to feel Jane inside her was overwhelming. She raised her leg and hooked her ankle around her lover. She enjoyed the way she stretched to accommodate her lover's fingers as they pressed inside of her. Jane's free palm wrapped around her buttock and held her in place as she worked hard to give the doctor what she wanted. "Harder, Jane…" She felt Jane's tongue slide up, kissing back down before teeth sank into her shoulder. "Fuck, yes. Just like that." Maura Isles didn't believe in gods, but in that moment, she truly believed Jane was a goddess, sent from somewhere heavenly to bring pleasure to her and only her. Jane buried herself as deep inside her as she could, rubbing the pads of her fingers against the one spot she knew would send Maura wild. "Yes, I'm going to come. Don't…don't you dare stop." Jane wouldn't dare. Not when she could lean back and watch Maura come apart like this. Maura's hands squeezed at her own breasts as her head fell back and her eyes rolled. Soft whimpering interspersed with profanity and the odd sentence in a foreign language aroused Jane more than anything. And when Maura Isles was done, there was a feral look in her eye that turned Jane on even more.

With the aftershocks of her orgasm lessening, she pulled Jane's fingers away from her sex and sucked them into her mouth. Her hands were already unbuckling Jane. A savage need washed over her as the scent of her lover hit her senses. "I want you, right now," she hissed, yanking the offending pants down.

Jane grinned. "Come get it then." She kicked off her shoes and then the pants. With Maura stalking her, she stepped backwards until she was aware that the couch was behind her.

"Sit down and let me have you," Maura growled at her prey. "Let me taste you, I want to devour you and have you at my mercy."

Jane pulled her shirt over head and smirked. "I thought you wanted to talk first."

Maura tilted her head and considered that. She did need to talk to Jane, it was imperative that she knew the truth. Before Jane had a chance to move, Maura pounced, spinning her in a move that came right out of a Jackie Chan movie. The detective found herself bent forward, her thighs parted and Maura's tongue buried inside her. "Fuck."

Never in Jane Rizzoli's life had she ever allowed anyone to dominate her the way Maura did, but she would happily give in to her. Not that there was anything particularly kinky about the doctor, but she knew what she wanted, and she invariably got it. She enticed Jane to try new things, encouraged her to explore, and then she took her places that Jane had only read about in sappy romance novels her mother had left lying around. No longer did she lie there trying to think about things that turned her on, no longer did she finish herself off in the bathroom or wait until they'd leave to grab her vibrator and sate the unsatisfied urgency that pulsated between her legs.

Now, she cried out, she pleaded and whimpered and demanded.

And in return, she received it all.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

Jane was in a happy place. That much was clear. Even Korsak had noticed the way in which she was now smiling instead of scowling. And he was pretty sure it had a lot to do with Dr Isles. Their friendship was definitely something everyone would encourage.

"Korsak, you ever meet someone and just know?" she asked as they sat at their respective desks. She was leaning on the back two legs of her chair and chewing on a pencil.

The older detective looked up from the iPad he was chuckling at and gave it serious thought. "Yeah, with my second wife. I saw her across the room and I was smitten."

Jane thought some more. "So, you knew there and then that you wanted to marry her?"

He nodded. "Yeah, I think I did. Took me another three months to get up the nerve to ask her out, but we were married within six months."

"But then you got divorced?"

"Four years later and she couldn't take the job any more. I couldn't blame her. It was harder back then. We worked every hour, we were shot at. It was no fun for a spouse waiting at home for a cop to come home." He studied her for a moment. "You met the one?"

"What? No!" She laughed, but the hot flush to her cheeks said something different. "Maybe," she said, looking up at him from behind a curtain of hair.

He looked around to see who was listening and found the room empty. "Is it Maura?"

Jane's wide eyes and open mouth told him he was right, but she tried to deny it. "Maura?" she scoffed. "Why would you think it was Maura?"

"Oh, I dunno, the fact that anytime she walks into the room your face lights up and you hang off every word she says?" he laughed.

"You can't say anything," Jane said. "She doesn't know."

"She doesn't know? You mean you're not dating already? I was sure you were."

"We've been seeing each other, but she doesn't…ya know, I haven't told her how I feel yet."

"But you love her, right?" he probed, the kittens on his iPad long forgotten.

Jane nodded. "Yeah, I think I've fallen for her."

~R&I~

Having reflected on her moment of realisation with Korsak earlier, Jane grabbed a coffee and a chai latte and headed down to see her favourite M.E. She whistled and hummed a tune as she made her way down the stairs and then into the morgue. Susie waved and then ducked out of the way, never sure what mood Detective Rizzoli would be in. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the detective smiling and carrying two drinks.

The door to Maura's office was pushed closed but not shut. Jane internally high fived herself as she realised opening a closed door with two drinks would have been difficult. She toed it open with her boot and came to a stunning halt. Maura was in an embrace with a younger woman, arms wrapped around each other and with the younger, taller woman's face buried into the neck of the Doctor.

"I missed you so much, Sweetheart. You're here now though," Maura was saying. She had her back to the door and had no idea that Jane was standing there. She pulled back from the woman, and Jane could see just how beautiful she was, and young. Maura's hands held her face, and she leant forward to kiss her on the forehead. "I love you so much."

"Oh." The blonde's eyes moved from Maura to the woman now standing behind her. "You have a visitor." Maura turned slowly, already knowing who would be standing there. She rued the fact that they hadn't had a chance to talk yet. And from the look on Jane's face, that wouldn't be happening anytime soon either.

Jane turned on her heel and walked out of the door, still holding two cups.

"Dammit," Maura muttered to herself.

"Was that her?"

Turning to face her companion, Maura smiled sadly. "Yes, I'm sorry, darling that wasn't how I hoped you would meet. Here." She grabbed her bag and pulled her keys from it. "Go home and get settled in and I'll see you tonight, I need to speak with Jane."

"Alright, I'll cook. Let me know what time you'll be home." With that, they kissed cheeks and Maura was alone again.

~R&I~

Striding into the squad room, Dr Isles was heard before she was seen. The click-clacks of her very expensive high-heeled shoes were a giveaway to every detective in the room. She stared hopelessly at the empty desk with two coffee cups placed down on it. Searching the room with her eyes, she found Jane was completely absent. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply; this was so not how she had planned for Jane to find out.

"Detective Korsak, did you see where Jane went?"

"Oh, hey Doc, I think she said something about checking out a CCTV camera down on Weston Street. Looks like we got an image of the person that attacked Cruise."

Maura felt the air leave her body. She had been so careful. There was no way any person or camera could have seen anything. She was sure of it, but the thought that Jane would find something…she was like a bloodhound when she had a lead.

"Thank you." She turned to leave.

"Hey Doc, everything okay? Jane was…" He frowned at her. "She was in a great mood when she went for coffee and then…" He indicated the two cups on her desk. "Next minute, she's stomping out of here on a mission."

"I uh…I think I've upset her, but I am hopeful that we can work it out."

~R&I~

The store with the camera was about halfway down Weston street. Jane stood underneath the camera and looked back towards the motel. It was a distance; she just hoped that the image would be good enough. Not that she was in much mind to find this killer. Cruise deserved everything he got, but she was an officer of the law, and her duty was to uphold those laws.

She shrugged to herself and went inside. Derek greeted her with a smile and a welcome. She flashed her badge.

"Someone called in that the cameras had picked up something from the crime scene up at the motel…Can I see it?"

"Sure, sure, follow me, Detective." Derek led her out to the back room where there was a small desk with a computer screen and keyboard. "I'll just get Beth, she knows how to work this thing better than any of us."

Beth had a shaved head and wore more rings in her nose than Rizzoli had fingers, but she could fiddle with that camera like a demon. The image of a woman appeared on the screen, and as the focus adjusted and the face became recognisable, Rizzoli felt her anger grow. She knew that face.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

The afternoon went slowly for Maura Isles. With nothing else to do, she packed up and headed home. It was quiet, not at all what she expected. The note pinned to the fridge explained, 'Gone for a walk.'

Maura had been a little disappointed. It had been a long six months and she wanted to catch up, but they had all the time in the world now. Jane had not returned to work yet when Maura left. It worried her a little, and she wished she could just talk to Jane and explain everything. She was sure that Jane would understand.

The pounding at the door made her jump, but then she remembered and laughed. "Forgotten your key already?" she said as she reached for the latch and opened the door. "Jane."

The detective stood at the door, her jaw rigid with tension. "We need to talk." She didn't wait for an invitation; instead she barged past her, straight to the fridge, taking a bottle of beer for herself and uncapping it like she always did when she visited Maura at home. She took a long swig of the beer and leant back against the countertop. "So…"

Unsure where to begin, Maura walked coolly to the fridge and got herself a beer. She uncapped it and watched the detective as she fidgeted with the label, picking at it nervously. "What would you like to know?"

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Maura considered all the options. Lying wouldn't work, not with her vasovagal episodes. "It all started several years ago. A young woman called Sarah Gregson."

Jane tilted her head and took another swig of beer as she listened. Maura pulled a chair from the table and sat down. She indicated the chair opposite and Jane took it.

"Sarah Gregson was the age I am now, actually." She smiled sadly at the realisation. "She was killed by a drunk driver. His name was Donald Tramp." She took a swig from her own beer before she continued. "He was drunk, very drunk, and he chose to drive home. Sarah didn't stand a chance."

"That's awful, but I don't understand what this has to do with now," Jane said before adding, "With us."

Maura was a little confused. _With us, not the camera_. "Jane, I wanted to tell you all of this for such a long time. But, I had to be sure."

"About what?"

"You, I had to be sure that you were…the one." She half-shrugged, half-smiled at the admission. "It wouldn't be fair to them…"

"Them? Who is them?"

"May I continue with my story?" Jane nodded and then stood to get another beer. "So, there was only one thing worse than the fact that Sarah died, and that was that she left behind four little girls, young women really. They had nobody, the system was taking care of them, but the plans would obviously be to split them up and …." Before she could finish speaking, the door opened up and a whole heap of chattering and laughter came through.

Jane jumped up, ready to deal with the intruders, until she noticed one of them was Maura's lover, the blonde woman from earlier, and two other young women, and a younger teenager.

"Wow, that rain comes down fast when it starts," the woman said as she shook off the jacket that she held over her head. As Jane watched, something began to click into place.

"Mama, it's so good to see you again." The smallest in the group ran towards Maura and threw her arms around her waist. Jane watched as Maura's face lit up and she bent to kiss the young girl's head.

"Jane, I'd like you to meet my daughters. This is Carina." As the other three began to close in on Maura, she pointed to them one by one, "Katya, Tennyson and, well you've kind of already met, but this is Skylar."

Jane rubbed a hand over her face. "Your daughters?"

She needed to finish explaining the story. "Girls, why don't you go and freshen up and then we can all get some dinner." Each girl moved in to kiss and hug her and wave a quick hello to Jane, the woman they had all heard so much about.

When the room was quiet again, she took Jane's hand and led her to the couch. They sat close together as she explained. "I was in charge of the medical evidence. I proved beyond doubt that Donald Tramp had been intoxicated and that Sarah had died from injuries as a result of the crash. I felt a kinship with her, I don't know why, but I went to the funeral and I kept in touch with Skylar." She could feel the heat of hives begin to sting her skin. "When I realised what would happen to them, I knew I had to do something. I had the means, I had the love to give, and so I inquired about fostering them. Within a year I had adopted them."

"So, why didn't you just tell me this?"

Maura blushed, and a little nervous laughter erupted. "When I first met you, I didn't consider that I might fall in love with you. I thought you would just be a few weeks of fun like every other lover I have had these past 7 years."

Jane was silent for a beat. Then her eyes sparkled as she looked into Maura's. "You fell in love with me?"

Maura nodded. "I did. I do…I do love you, but I understand that this is a lot to take in and that…"

Jane kissed her, a kiss that would have lead to the bedroom had it not been for four young women upstairs. Breathlessly she pulled away. "I love you, and now that I know your story, I love you even more. You are selfless and kind, beautiful," she whispered.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

Skylar Gregson-Isles watched as her mother held hands with Jane and they talked. She had crept down the stairs and eavesdropped. She didn't do it to be nosey, but she needed to know that her mother had picked well, that Jane would be the one that her mother needed.

When they finished talking, Skylar stood up and walked confidently into the room. "Jane, it's so lovely to finally meet you. Mom has told us all about you."

"Well, all good I hope," Jane joked and looked to Maura, blushing lightly.

"Of course all good, what else would I tell them?" Maura grinned and let her hand drop down to slyly caress Jane's butt. "So, everyone ready for dinner?"

Three sets of legs ran down the stairs jostling for first place.

The girls moved around the kitchen in sync, passing plates and organising the food onto them. Skylar took the lead and all three sisters looked to her for instruction.

Jane snuck up behind Maura and passed her arms around her waist, chin resting on a solid shoulder. "They work well together. No sibling rivalry?" Jane chuckled, thinking back to her own childhood with two brothers to jostle for attention with.

"The first year was difficult. Skylar deferred college for a year. She just finished at Stanford," Maura said proudly. "When I got the job in Boston, she offered to stay behind with the girls so they could finish off the school year. So, they look up to her a lot."

"You must be so proud."

"Oh, I am. I never envisioned this being my life. But, it's enriched me in ways I could never have found any other way. I love being their mother."

Jane kissed the side of Maura's head and went to help in the kitchen. With Jane there for her younger sisters to question and talk to, Skylar took the opportunity to move away. She found Maura's eyes with her own and held them as she moved closer.

"She's nice."

"I am glad you approve." Maura smiled, still watching her girls at work. They laughed and tossed tomatoes at each other as Jane told them a story about her brothers.

"I'm just glad that you've finally found someone you're not ashamed to bring home." Skylar nudged her and grinned.

"I don't know what you mean," Maura smirked.

"Uh huh, don't think we didn't know what you were up to when late nights at the weekend involved a near-vasovagal episode." She laughed and put her arm around her mother's shoulders. After a moment, she became more serious. "I saw the news."

"Hm-mm."

"The guy that killed his wife and kids."

Maura turned to face her. "He was going to get away with it."

"I figured. Got what he deserved then?"

"Definitely."

"Does she know?" Skylar asked, her line of sight now focused solely on Jane.

Maura turned back to the room and watched her lover interacting with her daughters. "I don't know. If she does, she hasn't said anything."

~R&I~

The following morning, Maura walked into BPD and found a flurry of journalists in the lobby firing questions at Detective Jane Rizzoli.

 _"_ _Is it true that murdered family was killed by the father?"_

 _"_ _Have you made an arrest?"_

 _"_ _Did she do it?"_

Maura hung back, edging towards the exit as she listened to Jane demand silence. "As you know, the bodies of Graciela and her three children, Mateo, Diego and Liliana, were found in their home last week. We have reason to believe that the perpetrator of that crime is now deceased. As for the cause of death of Eduardo Cruise, what we can say is that it will continue to be investigated, but as yet we do not have a suspect. There is no evidence that points us to anything other than a mugging gone wrong." She closed off any idea of further questioning when she spotted Maura across the hall.

Smiling, she moved through the crowd and grasped Maura's elbow, leading her away from prying eyes and listening ears. "Hey."

"So, you finally know what happened?" Maura asked, regarding the case.

Jane studied her, this woman that had captured her heart and lived for justice as much as she did. "Yeah. I know what happened, and we are going to talk about it, but right now all that anyone needs to know is that that scumbag got what he deserved. Right?"

Maura licked her lips and considered the words that Jane had used. She nodded. "Yes, Detective."

"Good, because that's all the evidence shows."

"What about the CCTV?"

"All I saw was Sara Saunders punch him in the face and leave…anything after that was damaged. So, the killer is off the hook."

"I see. What if they did it again?"

This time Jane pushed her into the stairwell, checking once more for anyone who might overhear. "If there is a next time, then I will want to know about it."

Maura grasped Jane's face in her hands and pulled her closer, their lips meeting and moving together. The kiss deepened, and as tongues swept across one another, Maura realised that finally, she had met her other half.

Justice would be served, and the guilty would be punished.

 **AN: Well, in the words of Bugs Bunny, that's all folks! but... if you enjoy my writing and ya feel like reading some more.. then head on over to Amazon and search Claire Highton-Stevenson and you'll find all of my books, inc the new release Yes: A Cam Thomas Story. I know some of you have read Out and Next. Thanks so much for all the kind words and the not so kind, if I've ruined your life, I am sorry! I hope you enjoyed this little tale and I will be back soon, But for now, I have to go and work on the stuff that pays the bills!. Cheerio!**


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